Process and apparatus for the treatment of coal, shale, or the like in vertical retorts.



A. WADDELL.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GOAL, SHALE, OR THE LIKE IN VERTICAL RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11,1913.

Patented July 14:, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ll.

flLEX/g/WEA M905 ATTOR/VEV A. WADDBLL.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GOAL, SHALE, OR THE LIKE 1N VERTICAL RETORTS.

I 1 m m APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11,1913. I l iflm l Patented July 14, 1914.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2.

r EWMSWMMK Arm/army Ul lltl l tlil tiTATldd ritrisnr ALEXANDER WADDELL, OF DUNFERMLINE, SCOTELiaND.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR. THE TREATMENT OF COAL, SHALE, {THE In VERTICAL RE'IQRTS,

weenie Specification of Letters Patent.

a 4. 7 Pa ten ted Jury Application filed September 11, 1913. Serial No. 789,806.

To all whom it may concern.

' Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WADDELL, a subject of the King of the United King; dom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Dunfermline, Scotland, have invented a certain new and useful Process of and Apparatus for the Treatment. of Coal, Shale, or the like in Vertical Retorts, of which the following is a specification.

In the carbonization of coal, shale, or the like in vertical or substantially vertical retorts, the heat applied to the outside'of the retort takes a comparatively long time to carbonize the Whole of the mass Within the retort, the time varying according to the thickness of the mass. v

The invention provides for reduction of the distance necessary for the heat to travel toward the less carbonized part of the mass by causing that part of the mass vto come nearer to the hot retort Walls, and also utilizes the comparatively highly heated portion to assist in carbonizing the less heated material by causingtheseto commingle. To

this end means are provided affording a temporary support (at a suitable position or positions) for a section or sections of the usual un'carbonized or partly carbonized center or core of material said means being ii'iscrtible and with(h'aivable, While the retort is in use, being inserted to support or envelop the center or core, While a carbonized portion oi. the mass at the bottom of the retort is Withdrawn.

A retort equipped with the present i1nproveinents is illustrated in the accompany in drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a vertical and a horizontal section of parts of a retort rectangular in plan, and showing the supporting device in its operative position; Figs. 3 and at are transverse vertical sections to a reduced scale showing diagrammatically how the material Within the retort descends when the p porting device is in position and a carbonized portion of the mass at the bottom of the retort isivithdrmn.

shown, the retort A. is rectangular in core of material, this 0px;:

tort Wall at any desired level to permit of 5c the insertion into the retort of a core-supporting device B. This device is oi": metal and is of open-ended box form, its upper surface being of inverted V-torin and 1 lower edges of each side being turned ward to form flanges to which is sc rack 13 forming the bottom of When inserted it extends acri'iss t i in the direction of its greater .ncri )l'l tr, inension, and it is of less width than retort, so that there are spaces heti sides and the Walls of the retort. i vice is supported by rollers l3 on of its 'sidesrunning on rails C car their ends by metal liners C C ext-e around parts of the aperture A in Wall, and also by a flanged roller D c on its upper surface, and pinion l ing with the rack B. The pini l shaft which may be rotated by cit or power, and when the pinion is rota d the core supporting device B is either serted or withdrawn, depending 0:: rection of rotation of the shaft inc i Ward edge of the device B is cilitate its cutting its Way through the of material within the retort.

' What takes place in the process bonization, accordii'ig' to this invent-con, shown diagrammatically in l ies. 3 l the carbonized or highly heate" the mass being shown by s is lines IE, While the core or leis part of the mass is represented hatched lines E When a carbonized portion or? the at the bottom of the retort is to .ie drawn, the device'B is first inserted as ii inbefore described, and being of openra' box torin on entering the i I i t so within it and holds up a carbonized or parth G .i'n Figs. 3 and. i,

The core-supporting dealt o position within the retort drawal takes place the material within the retort up to the level of the top of the device first falls a distance equivalent to the amount drawn off at the bottom, the material between the support B and retort walls falling beneath the support and momentarily leaving a space as shown in Fig". 3. This space is, however, at once filled by the descent of the material above the sup- 16 port, as shown inFig. 4-, the comparatively hot and the cooler portions commingling when sofalling. Part of the less carbon ized central core E of the mass is thus not only brought nearer to the hot retort walls,

but as it is also commingled with the comparat-ively highly heated portion and part of that portion is thrown nearer the center of the mass in its descent, the carbonizationof the whole mass is thereby facilitated.

20 Upon the withdrawal of the supporting device, the section G of the core falls slightly, and upon the reinsertion of the sup porting device a part or this section with a I .freshpart of the uncarbonized material E as "above it is again taken into the device.

' H To insure that, when the supporting device is to be withdrawn, it does not take with it. the core G of material which is then within .it, a plate G of an external contour to fit e. loosely within the supporting device B is inserted within the device until it abuts the outer end of the core G. The plate G "is carried by rods H which extend out to a dis tance beyond the outer end of the supportng. ing device B at least as great as that of the length of the part of that device which projects into the retorts. ,Duringthe first part of the withdrawal of the supporting device 3 [the rods H, and consequently the plate to G are held stationary; and as the plate G is then bearingon the core G, the'latter is prevented from movement and cleft in the retort. When the inner endoi the device B has traveled out to the plate G both are as then further withdrawn together until. they leave the aperture A 'which is then closed by a door (not shown). The aperture A is tittedwith a gas offtake which may be fitted with means for closing it when the door is to open.

' I @no or a plurality of apertures and suppoilitiing devices at diilerent levels may be use Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. The hereindescribed improvement in the art of retorting coal, shale and the like. consisting in. enveloping and supporting a section of the lcentral portion of the mate rials -n the retort and simultaneously with drawn a portion of the material at the having an apertured wall, of a core-sustainthe retort, so as to cause theseo .a central portion located above the i tCilfill to approach nearer to the l walls of the retort and to "commingle with the exterior portion, without substantial displacement of the enveloped section.

2. The hereindescribed improvement in the art of retorting coil, shale and the like, consisting in enveloping and supporting a section oi the central portion of the materials being retorted and simultaneously withdrawing a portion of the material be-. low the supported section, so as to cause the material above the enveloped section to fall and fill up the space surrounding the enveloped section and to cause the section ofthe central portion above the enveloped section to approach nearer to the walls of the retort and to commingle with the exterior' portion, without substantial displacement of the enveloped section.

3. The herein-described improvement in the art of retortin coal, shale and the like, consisting in enve oping and supporting a section of the central portion of the materials in the retort, the enveloped section having vertical sides spaced. a short distance from, and substantially parallel with, theside walls the retort, and withdrawing a portion of the materials at the bottom of the retort while said section continues to be enveloped and supported so as to cause the section of the central portion located above the enveloped section to approach nearer to the walls of the retort and to commingle with the exterior portion, the commingled product filling the space between the vertical sides of the enveloped section and the side walls of the retort.

' 4. The combination with a vertical retort v having an apertured wall of a core-sustaining device movable through the aperture transversely of the retort, said device being of open-ended box form and adapted when inserted into the retort to envelop a section of the core, and so dimensioned as to leave spaces between its sides and the walls of the retort.

5. The combination with a vertical retort having an apertured wall, of a core-sustaining and enveloping device movable through the aperture transversely of the retort, and of less cross sectional area than the retort, said'device being provided with rack teeth, and a pinion engaging said rack teeth and adapted when rotated to reciprocate said device.

6. The combination with a vertical retort ing device movable through the aperture transversely of said retort, said device being of open-ended box form and adapted when inserted into the retort to envelop a section of the core and so dimensioned as to leave spaces between its sides and the walls of the retort, and a stop fitted within Said core supporting device.

7 .1 ihe combination with a verticelretort age having an apertured W21 of a, device movname to this specification in. the pmsonc able through the aperture smmvoi'sely of the two subscribing Witnessos.

retort, saw. device aciapuoci M) envelop and ALEXAN wlgigwmi susmin a section of tho control portion. only of the materials Within the re'iort and to die Witnesses:

fleet outward materials lying; above the some. ANDPEW THOMSGN, In testimony whereof I have signeci my DAVID Ne Hwwom 

